The present invention relates to a flat circuitry connector used in an automobile, an industrial machine device, or the like, and to a method of connecting flat circuitries using the connector.
Various kinds of electric devices are mounted in a recent automobile provided with a navigation system device, an air bag system, or the like therein, and the number of devices is getting increased. Accordingly, since the number of a wire harness laid in a car body is also increased, from viewpoints of the work performance and effective utilization of a room space, as shown in FIG. 6, a flat circuitry 1 is used, which is formed in a belt-like shape by collecting and laying conductors 2 in an insulating resin.
This flat circuitry 1 is laid in, for example, a component member of an instrument panel, and has some exposure windows 4 for leading out power source (battery in case of an automobile) current therefrom to supply the current to electrically equipped devices. However, since the number of the laid conductors increases as described above, correspondingly, the flat circuitries 1 are laminated (two layers in this case) with adhesive or a connecting member 3.
In a related device, as shown in FIG. 6, in case that the end portion of the flat circuitry 1 is cut off and the power current is taken out from this cut portion, another conductors 5 are electrically connected to the conductors 2 facing to exposure windows 4 on the end portion side, and a metal terminal (not shown) attached to the end portions of the conductors 5 is put into and connected to one side of a connector housing 6. Further, to the other side of the connector housing 6, a metal terminal (not shown) of a harness end portion for electrically equipped devices such as a wiper motor, a running meter, an audio device and the like is connected.
In the above related device, the conductors 2 of each layer are respectively connected to the connector housing 6 through the conductors 5. Therefore, probability that the conductors 5 come into contact with one another becomes high between the conductors 2 and the connector housing 6. Further, within the connector housing 6, there are two contact points with the metal terminal on the conductor or electrical conductor 5 side and with the metal terminal of the harness on the electrically equipped device side. Therefore, the larger the number of the contact points results that reliability of connection lowers.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to obtain a flat circuitry connector in which connection of flat circuitries can be readily performed in a state where flat faces of the flat circuitries are opposed to each other.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a connector for electrically connecting a plurality of belt-like flat circuitries in which conductors are enclosed in an insulating material body provided with windows for partially exposing the conductors, comprising:
a connector body provided with a through hole into which the plural flat circuitries are inserted such that at least one window on the respective flat circuitries are accommodated therein;
a conductive terminal member provided inside of the connector body so as to be interposed between the flat circuitries for electrically connecting the conductors exposed from the windows of the respective flat circuitries with each other; and
a press member for providing an urging force to keep the electrical connection of the conductors of the respective flat circuitries established by the terminal member.
According to the configuration, the electrical connection of the flat circuitries can be directly and readily realized without providing individual members. Therefore, reliability in the connection can be improved.
Preferably, the terminal member is attached to the connector body so as to be movable like a seesaw about the attached point as a fulcrum.
According to the configuration, since the terminal member is movable in accordance with the insertion of the flat circuitries, the inserting operation can be facilitated.
Preferably, the press member includes a first rotatable press member disposed in the vicinity of a first longitudinal end of the terminal member and a second press member disposed in the vicinity of a second rotatable longitudinal end of the terminal member. The rotation of the first press member establishes the electrical connection between the first longitudinal end of the terminal member and the conductor exposed from the window on a first flat circuitry. The rotation of the second press member establishes the electrical connection between the second longitudinal end of the terminal member and the conductor exposed from the window on a second flat circuitry.
According to the configuration, since the electrical connection can be kept by urging forces provided by the first and second press members, the reliability of the connection can be further enhanced.
Preferably, a claw member is provided on each longitudinal end of the terminal member, which bites into the associated conductor.
According to the configuration, the reliability of the connection can be further enhanced.
Preferably, the connector body includes therein a step portion against which an end portion of one flat circuitry is abutted. The first flat circuitry is held between the step portion and the first longitudinal end of the terminal member. The second press member has a body shaped into an eccentric cam for urging the second flat circuitry toward the second longitudinal end of the terminal member by the rotation thereof.
According to the configuration, the reliability of the connection can be further enhanced.
Preferably, the seesaw movement of the terminal member and the rotation of the press members are configured such that both longitudinal ends of the terminal members establish the electrical connection with the associated conductors by passing the second flat circuitry through the through hole of the connector body.
According to the above configuration, since the electrical connection between the flat circuitries can be easily established only by inserting both flat circuitries into the connector body and passing the second flat circuitry therethrough.